Iran limits internet access

Iranian authorities have slowed Internet connections to a crawl or choked them off completely before expected student protests to deny the opposition a vital means of communication.

In another familiar tactic before such rallies, authorities have ordered journalists working for foreign media organizations not to leave their offices to cover the demonstrations, Huriyyet Daily reported quoting AP as saying.

Internet connections in the capital, Tehran, have been slow or completely down since Saturday. Blocking Internet access and cell phone service has been one of the routine methods employed by the authorities to undermine the opposition in recent months.

The government has not publicly acknowledged it is behind the outages, but Iran's Internet service providers say the problem is not on their end and is not a technical glitch.

A day or two after the demonstrations, cell phone and Internet service is restored.

/Huriyyet Daily/